Pescara, the “Green” trolleybus takes its first steps: inauguration in June

The ‘Green’ trolleybus took its first steps in Pescara. Technical tests began at 9 a.m. on Thursday 22 February 2024 on the new trolleybus line, known as ‘La Verde’, 8 km and 150 metres long with 25 stops, which will connect Pescara’s railway station with the large hotels in Montesilvano.

At the request of TUA (Trasporto Unico Abruzzese), the company that manages public transport in Abruzzo, the manager of the municipality of Pescara, Giuliano Rossi, issued Ordinance No. 170 of 20 February 2024, authorising the trolleybuses and their technical escort to pass through. 

The technical tests on the infrastructure and vehicles will continue for nine weeks, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. During the test weeks, the vehicles will be allowed to travel at a speed of 20 km/h. The activation of the traffic light systems at the road intersections with Via Ruggiero Settimo, Via Luigi Cadorna, Via Cavour, Via del Milite Ignoto, Via Leopoldo Muzii and Via Giovanni Bovio has also been authorised.  The results of the first test days are certainly positive, both for the vehicles and the infrastructure.

The inauguration of the service is scheduled for the end of June, on the eve of the summer season. Both residents and the many tourists will therefore soon be able to benefit from a fast and speedy service, carried out with vehicles equipped with the latest technology.

The trolleybus in Pescara

The trolleybus fleet currently consists of six high-capacity Exquicity 18 T articulated trolleybuses built by Van Hool in 2022, with the electric and traction part supplied by Kiepe Electric. Vehicles with a futuristic design, they are already present in Italy in Parma, where they have been in service since 2013, and in Rimini, on the Costa Rapid Transport, while abroad we find them in Geneva and Montreux in Switzerland and in Linz, Austria, in the 24-metre version. Comfort for passengers and drivers is complemented by high performance, acceleration and deceleration, and the possibility of progressive recharging, according to IMC ® (In Motion Charging) technology of the battery pack, a technology provided by Kiepe Electric. In the latest generation trolleybuses, the batteries have replaced the diesel motor generator; the new lithium batteries allow the trolleybus, now a truly zero-emission environmentally friendly vehicle, to travel autonomously with passengers on board and without speed restrictions or the need to give up on-board services.

The Exquicity is equipped with four doors for boarding and alighting passengers and can accommodate up to 134 people. Both the driver’s seat and the passenger environment are air-conditioned.   There is video surveillance, the floor is low, and space is provided for the disabled. The livery of the vehicles is white, with green decorations and logo.

When fully operational, the line will run in 20-25 minutes, with a trolleybus passing every 10 minutes on average. Most of the route will run in its own track on the old Adriatic railway line, while for approximately one kilometre, at both ends of the line, the trolleybus will run independently. An extension towards Pescara Court, where the trolleybus recharging station is to be built, is already planned.

The municipalities of Pescara and Montesilvano are proceeding with the work on the signage and greenery along the entire route, while the assembly of the shelters and interactive intelligent bollards will be completed shortly before the trolleybus is put into service.

An important project that is finally close to launching, that of the Pescara trolleybus, after years of problems of various kinds that have fortunately been resolved, and which will further unite the municipalities of Pescara and Montesilvano, and which is destined for further expansion in the future, towards Francavilla al Mare and San Giovanni Teatino. A quick, fast and ecological service, which will improve connections in the area in no small measure.

TUA General Manager Maxmilian Di Pasquale’s comment was positive: «Today the functionality of the work is being verified and the trial period begins. This will be followed by the training of the certified trolleybus operators, with the aim of going into operation to the public by the end of June. We are well aware that the novelty also generates some fear. It will be our duty to reassure, accompany, and implement all risk mitigation measures to make the work as stress-free and impactful as possible. The final effect will certainly be positive for citizens».